The General 1” Rule
By Ed Keene, DCAS, friend of Ecological Labs
I have talked about stocking your new aquarium with fish very s-l-o-w-l-y. I have not talked about how many fish can be safely maintained. Although the number of fish can vary, the general accepted stocking rule of the tank is one inch of fish per 10 gallons of water. If you have a 100-gallon tank, you can safely have up to 10 inches of fish. You may decide to have less which is absolutely not a problem. On the other hand, you may decide to have more which may or may not be a problem. While it certainly is possible to have more, this is an option generally taken on by only the more experienced hobbyists.
I am not suggesting you keep more than one inch of fish per 10 gallons, but if you decide to do so there are some general guidelines I would suggest that you should follow. First of all, you should have multiple filters running simultaneously in your tank. For example, you might have an undergravel filter along with a canister type filter or a pressure filter. Secondly, I would highly recommend that you perform water changes of approximately twenty percent at least every other week, if not weekly. Finally, live plants in your tank system will be a big plus if you exceed the one-inch rule. If you are not willing to abide by these requirements, do not exceed the one-inch of fish per 10 gallons of water, as doing so will more often than not, lead to disastrous and/or high fatality results.
Let’s talk a little more about the one-inch of fish per 10 gallons of water. The one inch of fish is measured from the tip of the nose to the beginning of the caudal or tail fin. Additionally, the one-inch of fish is the full-grown size, not necessarily the size at the time of purchase. For example, if a particular fish will grow to be approximately six inches in length when full grown, then you should count it as six inches when you purchase it rather than counting it as two inches because it’s currently only two inches long. Do your research before you purchase your fish. That cute little one-inch fish of today could grow to over eight inches in the next six to nine months. Unfortunately, there are some stores more interested in the almighty buck than the best interest of you and more particularly, your tank, or don’t have the time to ask you all the questions necessary to keep your tank on track. They will sell you whatever you ask for. Stocking the tank is your responsibility. Therefore, and I can’t stress it enough, it is earnestly recommended that you understand the General #1 Rule first.
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